Everton’s search for a striker should have led to a move for Fernando Llorente, according to Peter Reid.
Former Everton hero Peter Reid has told the Liverpool Echo that he feels the Toffees should have signed Tottenham Hotspur’s new signing Fernando Llorente this summer.
Everton splashed the cash on a host of new signings this past summer, bringing in the likes of Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen and Gylfi Sigurdsson, but results so far have been underwhelming to say the least.
The Toffees have lost four of the first seven Premier League games, piling the pressure on manager Ronald Koeman – especially given that his side have scored just four goals, with Wayne Rooney and Oumar Niasse the only players to score.
Ultimately, Everton are paying the price for not replacing Romelu Lukaku, after the Belgian hitman moved to Manchester United off the back of his 25-goal campaign last season.
Everton’s failure to sign a striker is costing them right now, and having missed out on Olivier Giroud, one pundit has suggested that they should have looked at Fernando Llorente.
Former Everton hero and current pundit Peter Reid has told the Liverpool Echo that he thinks the Toffees should have made a move for Llorente when he was with Swansea, before he made his deadline day move to Tottenham.
“I think last January, it was common knowledge that Lukaku was going,” said Reid. “So I found it strange that they didn’t get a recognised striker in, as hard as it might have been. They should have gone and got one in. If Giroud wouldn’t come, Fernando Llorente was available and he’d have done for me. Llorente was gettable, so they are out there.”
“Steve Walsh is in there recruiting players, Ronald Koeman is there. They’ve got contacts. They’ve got to get one in. Steve Walsh found them for Leicester. Any chance of getting one for Everton?” he added.
Llorente, 32, hit 15 goals for Swansea last season, and would have not only given Koeman the target man he craves, but also reunited with Everton playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson, after they impressed so much together last term.
It’s interesting that Reid wanted Everton to sign Llorente, as the Daily Mail (Press Reader, 01/09/2017) reported that Everton did in fact try and land the Spaniard, but Spurs and Mauricio Pochettino pipped them to a deal.
Llorente is seemingly a backup player with Spurs, serving as cover for Harry Kane, but he could have played a key role with Everton – and given Everton’s lack of goals, Koeman may well be wishing that he had managed to sign the former Juventus man.
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